Beauty and the Beast
by HookfangTheAlpha
Summary: A beast who was cursed by an enchantress. A girl who never felt like she belonged. Two broken halfs that'll make a whole. When these two met they will experience a world they never knew,learn things about each other and express their desires.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Long ago in a far away land,a beast lived in an abandoned castle. The beast had everything anyone could ever want: Food,clothes,loved ones and so much more.

However,despite all that,the beast was destructive and cold-hearted from a past that no one knew about.

The beast had laid waste to countless villages,harmed innocent people,used people for her own gains and never trusted anyone. One winter night after the beast had destroyed another village,an enchantress appeared before her home warning the beast to stop her attacks on the villages or suffer the consequences.

Raged,the beast told the enchantress that she would destroy as many villages as she pleased and nothing would stop her. Seeing that the beast would not listen,the enchantress cursed the beast to remain trapped in her territory and all her friends were pushed away from her as their memories of her were erased.

Alone and angered,the beast stayed within her castle slowly growing hatred for the world and those in it. Her only way to see into the outside world was a magic mirror. The enchantress also left with the beast an enchanted rose which would bloom until her eighteenth year.

If the beast could learn to trust and earn another's trust by the time the last petal fell the curse would be broken. However,if not she would be doomed to remain cursed for all time. As the years passed,she fell into a dark despair and lost all hope.

For who could ever learn to trust her?


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Adora

The bright yellow-orange glow of the rising sun spread over the horizon above the town. Adora opened the door to her home,walked out and closed the door as she walked towards her town's market as she had to pick up a few things at the workshop for her friend's invention.

She crossed the bridge of her home to the market. There were many people at the market,ordering from the baker,getting books from the library or simply relaxing near the water fountain in the middle of town and chatting with friends. Adora greeted many of the people as she walked to the workshop. "Morning Adora!"a voice yelled to her. Adora turned in the direction of the voice and saw Perfuma,owner of the flower shop and one of her friends,waving to her. "Morning Perfuma!"she called,waving back.

She had made friends over the years she had lived here and it made things easier for her. Finally,she made it to the workshop. She opened the door and called out,"Hello?" Seconds after a small,thin,long purple haired woman appeared from further within the workshop wearing some sort of goggles that Adora guessed she had invented. She saw Adora standing before the door and smiled.

"Good morning Adora!"she said as she walked over Adora and gave her a hug. "Good morning to you too Entrapta."Adora replied. "I see you made another invention?" "Yeah. I made these new goggles yesterday to enhance my vision so now I can see small things and put them together when I'm building something."Entrapta said excitedly with such an expression of joy,like a child getting its favourite thing,that made Adora laugh.

"I'm taking it then that you're competing in the science fair."Adora said. "You better believe it,"Entrapta said. "I'm gonna take a guess and say that Bow's competing as well?" "Yeah. He seems super confident in his invention this year too. He also says good luck with your invention."Adora said. "If that's the case,he might be my biggest competition yet."Entrapta said with a small chuckle. "Well tell him I said good luck too." "Will do."Adora replied. "Anyway,I assume you didn't come here just to chat with me so what so what would you like to get?"Entrapta said,getting to the point. "I need one screwdriver,a wrench and a pack of nails."Adora listed.

"Coming right up."Entrapta said walking further into the workshop and getting the things Adora had listed. Moments later,she appeared with a small bag in her hands. "Alright,here are all the things you requested."Entrapta said. "Thank you. How much will that be?"Adora asked as she took the bag from Entrapta and went to get her coins. "No need to pay Adora. They're on me."Entrapta said. "Oh no I can't just take these."Adora protested. "Nonsense,"Entrapta told her. "You can take them because I said you can. Consider them as a good show of sportsmanship."she added.

"But-" "No buts Adora."Entrapta said. "After all,you wouldn't refuse a gift from a friend of yours?" Adora looked at the things in her bag,conflicted. She didn't want to seem disrespectful and refuse them but at the same time she didn't want to take something without paying for it like she was getting special treatment.

She must've looked conflicted because Entrapta placed her hand lightly on hers and looked at her. "You have a big heart,you know that Adora."she said. "Huh?"Adora asked wondering where she was going with that. "Most people would jump at the chance to get something free. You,however,feel guilty about taking something for free. Even though I insisted."Entrapta said. Adora looked down to the ground in embarrassment. "I-I don't know about that."she stuttered modestly.

Entrapta chuckled while shaking her head. "Well look,if you don't feel comfortable with taking them for free then when I need help with making a new invention I'll call on you for assistance. Deal?"she said. "Deal."Adora agreed. "Alright,now that that's out of the way,I have to go do some finishing touches on my invention. Tell Bow I wish him luck!"Entrapta said.

"Sure thing and good luck at the science fair!"Adora said before she turned and walked out of the workshop. She hummed a song to herself as she walked back to her home and making it halfway through the market when yells and shouts suddenly erupted. Startled from her peace and quiet she looked around,looking for the commotion and quickly found it. There was a hoard of people crowded near the entrance of the town,yelling and shouting out.

_What_ _on __earth is going on over there_ she thought.

Her curiosity got the best of her as she walked over to the crowd of people the closer she got to the crowd,the more she heard the yelling and shouting. "Marry me!"someone shouted. "Lady please,he's going to marry me."someone else replied. "Oh are you trying to catch these hands?"someone else yelled out.

Adora looked at the crowd of yelling people with pure confusion on her face. _This_ _has_ _to __be a dream_ she told herself.

Really curious to see what was causing all the commotion,she pushed her way through the jumbled,packed crowd having to say "Excuse me," or utter countless apologies for stepping on someone's foot. After seconds of pushing through the crowd and apologizing,she managed to finally get to the front of the crowd of people and see the cause of the commotion.

When she saw what was causing the commotion,she nearly got her eyes stuck in her head from rolling them too far back.

The cause of the wild commotion was Hordak.

_ I should've known it was_ _him that was the cause of this since everyone here is __swooning_ _girls_ Adora thought. Hordak was one of the best hunters in their town,if not the best. In fact,he was so good that most people often referred to him as the beast king. Due to the amount of girls that swooned over him and the godly praises he got of being the town's beast king,Hordak had an obnoxiously massive ego,proud,greedy and was basically an uncultured pig.

She could see why practically all the girls in the town wanted to marry him as he was a tall and muscular man with dark blue hair combed back and striking icy blue eyes. "Haha please ladies you are much too kind. I wish I could marry you all but unfortunately I can only have one of you."Hordak said with feigned sadness in his voice.

_That statement alone should be a red flag to everyone_ Adora thought to herself. As Hordak waved to the squealing girls his gaze soon landed on Adora. He simply stared at her for a split second before a smile broke on his face.

_Oh god no _she thought.

She considered turning around and squeezing her way back into the crowd but,unfortunately,couldn't do that as Hordak walked over to her. "Adora. It has been forever since I have seen you in town."he said. He placed his arm over her shoulder and stirred her away from the protection of the crowd. Adora heard the girls stop their squealing and could feel their angry glares on her back at the fact thatHordak was paying attention to her.

"I just needed to get something from Entrapta's workshop."Adora said,shrugging off his arm from over her and taking a step back. Hordak narrowed his eyes,seemingly seeing the withdrawal from her,then his face switched back to a smile. "What a shame. Perhaps next time when you are in town you can join me in a little hunting party?"he asked,his voice dripping with something very close to malice.

Adora shivered.

The sight of Hordak alone was enough to give her goosebumps but hearing him talk in that tone was enough to make her want to rip off her own skin. "I wish I could but hunting really isn't my thing."Adora said,backing away from him. The crowd parted for her as she walked through them,she heard snips of their muttering,"Who would ever refuse Hordak?" "She is a very odd person." "What is wrong with her?"

She blocked out their comments while continuing to walk through them. "Well apparently the orphan doesn't realise what an honor it is to be with the mighty beast king. She'll never truly belong here."Hordak's voice shouted across the town square.

Adora stopped dead in her tracks,his words cutting her like a knife.

She heard many of the girls snicker at Hordak's comment and their laughter only added salt to the wound. Hands clenched into fists,she slowly turned around to look at Hordak who was looking at her with a smirk of his face. "I would rather be an orphan than be an arrogant,self-centered,prick like you!"she exclaimed.

All the girls in the crowd simultaneously gasped in horror and the smirk of Hordak's face instantly was replaced by pure rage.

Adora lifted her higher and glared at him at a few seconds longer before turning away and walking off. She walked out of the town and crossed the bridge connecting the town to her foster mother's home. _The orphan doesn't realise what an honor it means to be with the mighty beast king. She'll never truly belong here._ Hordak's words rang in her head as loud and clear as a bell.

She tried to push them out of her head but they insisted on staying. She walked onto the stairs of her foster mother's home and knocked rather forcefully on the door,as if taking all her anger and frustration out on it.

The door opened seconds afterward to reveal her foster mother,Angella.

She was a tall and slender woman with long pink-purplish hair,pale fair skin and amethyst colored eyes. She was wearing a long pink dress with purple leggings and boots. She smiled as she saw Adora standing in front of the door. "Adora come on in."she said,her voice firm like iron yet soft like silk. Adora nodded and walked inside the house sighing in relief at being within the place that kept her safe. The house was spacious enough for a home and had a warm and cozy feeling to it. "Glimmer,Bow Adora is back!"Angella called out. "Adora!"a shrill voice called out.

She heard the running footsteps above her before Bow and Glimmer,her foster sister and friend,ran down the stairs,bulldozing into her and trapping her a bear hug. "Wow,geez I only left for like a few minutes guys."Adora said teasingly. Glimmer was small and stocky with messy pink hair,pale skin,brown eyes and long eyelashes. She wore a light purple tunic with matching purple boots. Bow was tall,dark skinned,broad-shouldered,muscular with black afro like hairstyle and dark brown eyes. He wore a white sleeveless tank top with blue pants strapped with a brown belt and white boots.

Both of them pulled away from her,chuckling.

"Yeah but you're the only person who doesn't drive me crazy."Glimmer said while throwing a pointed look at Bow. "I did not drive you crazy."he replied indignantly.

Glimmer rolled her eyes. Adora chuckled.

"Well I got the parts you needed for your invention Bow."she said as she extended the bag towards him. It would have been an understatement if Adora were to say that Bow's eyes lit up like a lightbulb. He let out a high-pitched squeal and wrapped his arms around her in another bear hug. "Thanks Adora,you're the best!"he exclaimed happily. "It was nothing,"Adora said. "Now come on,let's finish your invention." "And try not to nearly blow it up again Bow."Angella said. He nodded while taking the bag and they all went outside the house and walked to the trapdoor in the front of their house which lead to the basement or,as they jokingly called it,Bow's workshop.

They dropped down into the basement and Bow instantly ran over to his invention and began adding his finishing touches. "Do you think you'll win this year Bow?"Glimmer asked him excitedly. "I do. In fact,this invention will be the start of a new life."Bow said as he screwed in several screws in place. "Well,when you become famous just remember that we always believed in you."Glimmer said with mock sternness. "Trust me,I won't forget you guys."Bow said,softly yet firmly. "We know that Bow."Adora replied.

They fell into a comfortable silence as Bow tickered with his invention. Despite the comfortable and relaxing atmosphere,the words of the crowd and Hordak rang in her head. She wanted nothing more than to rip those words from within her head and toss them far away from her but unfortunately she couldn't and just tried her best to ignore them.

Minutes afterward,Bow got up from his crouching position and stretched his body. "Alright,it's all finished. Glimmer and Adora,I now present to you: the LumberJack!"he announced proudly. "Finally!"Glimmer exclaimed. "Now let's test it out!" "Already ahead of you Glimmer."Bow stated then turned to Adora. "Adora,could you please get me that log holder and one of the logs from the pile?" "Sure thing."Adora replied.

She walked over to the log pile for their fireplace and tucked one log underneath her arm then walked over to the log holder,grabbed it in her other hand then went over to Bow. Adora knew she was a strong and muscular person as it was one of the many things that made her stand out with the girls and women in the town and made them consider her odd.

"Where do I put them?"she asked him. "Put them in front of the axe part of the LumberJack."Bow said. She nodded then placed the log holder before the axe and put the log on top the log holder. Once she placed them,she moved away from the invention. "Alright,now everyone stand back."Bow warned them. They obeyed immediately and took a few steps away from the LumberJack.

"Now behold the LumberJack and be amazed." With that,Bow pulled the lever of the invention. The LumberJack began making a whirring noise then steam came out from the sides. As the steam came out,one of the things connecting the axe soon began to move around in a circle before the axe made a downward arc and began chopping the log in front of it until the log broke into two parts. Bow pushed the lever back into place and the axe instantly stopped.

"It...works...It works!"Bow exclaimed. "It actually works!" "Of course it would work Bow. You are the inventor after all."Adora said. "You're going to be famous Bow!"Glimmer squealed. Bow grabbed Glimmer and her hands and shuffled to the side in a circle while the two of them joined him,laughing.

He then abruptly stopped causing Glimmer to bump into him and Adora to bump into her. "Geez Bow if you're going to stop our celebratory dance then at least warn us."Glimmer said. "I have to go get the horse ready to go to the fair!"Bow exclaimed.

He let go of their hands while running over to his invention. "I'll go get the horse ready."Adora said,wanting to help Bow get ready. "Thanks Adora,"Bow replied gratefully. "Glimmer help me get this out of the basement." Adora walked out of the basement and headed over to the back of the house where the animals were locked in the pen. She unlocked the pen,swung the gate open and walked inside. "Swift Wind?"she called out.

Almost on cue a horse neighed loudly and trotted over towards her while his maple colored mane flowed in the wind. "Hey Swift Wind."Adora greeted softly. She reached out and petted his muzzle softly,his white skin soft and prickly to the touch.

Though he had been Angella's horse from when she was younger,she had given him to her since apparently Glimmer wasn't a fan of horses. His name had been Horsey,as Angella embarrassingly admitted,so Adora had changed it to Swift Wind as part of his amazing speed. Despite him being her horse she still allowed Glimmer or Bow use him whenever they needed to.

She walked over to the animal equipment and took the horse reins and saddle then walked back over to Swift Wind. "You have quite the walk to go buddy,"Adora told him while placing the saddle on his back. "So I hope you rested well." Once she had securely fastened the saddle,she proceeded to place the reins on him with slight difficulty. After the reins were placed,Adora moved before Swift Wind and gently placed her head against his muzzle. "Make sure to keep Bow safe,ok?"she told him. He neighed softly,as if he could understand.

She sighed content then took the reins and guided Swift Wind out the pen and,to her surprise,saw Entrapta on a horse in front of their house. "Entrapta?"she said. Entrapta turned her head over to Adora and waved to her. "Hello again Adora!"she called. "Not that I'm not happy to see you but why are you here?"Adora asked. "Well since you had told me previously that Bow was going to the science fair as well the obvious scientific solution would be to go with him."Entrapta replied as though it were obvious.

"Um...I guess that makes sense."Adora said,still confused. "Adora! We need your help!"Bow's voice shouted. "Coming!"she called as she left Swift Wind and jogged over to the basement. She looked inside to see Bow waiting beside his invention.

"What do you need help with Bow?"she asked. "I need you to help me lift the LumberJack from here to the cart that Glimmer should be setting up outside."Bow said. She nodded then placed her hands underneath his invention and waited for Bow to do the same.

"Ready?"she asked him. "Ready."he replied. They simultaneously lifted the LumberJack from the ground and carefully,slowly they walked back up the stairs until both of them were out of the basement. "Glimmer,where's the cart?"Bow called out. "It's behind you."she replied. Adora maneuvered herself as did Bow so they were sideways to the cart then,with one last heave of strength,placed the LumberJack in the cart. "I'll hook it up to Swift Wind."Glimmer said while pulling the cart towards Swift Wind.

"Alright….that's it."Bow panted. "Out of breath from a little lifting,Bow?"Adora teased. "Not everyone can be as strong as you Adora."Bow replied with a smile. "Hello Bow!"Entrapta called. "Entrapta? What are you doing here?"Bow asked. "As I just told Adora,since you're going to the science fair as well then the obvious scientific solution would be to go with you."Entrapta replied. "That's great! We can chat and catch up on the way."Bow said happily.

"Alright the cart's hooked up."Glimmer told him. Bow nodded. "Bow!"a voice called. Everyone looked to see Angella coming out of the house. She walked over to them and greeted Entrapta before looking at Bow. "I wish you good luck in the science fair Bow. As I know you'll win first place."she told him softly with a warm smile on her face as she grabbed his hand in hers.

Bow smiled,happiness brimming in his eyes. "Thank you Angella."he said then looked at Glimmer and Adora. "Thanks you guys for helping me with my invention." "No problem. You're our friend Bow and that's what friends are for."Adora told him. "Yeah. And we'll always be by your side to help you with anything."Glimmer said firmly.

Bow grinned ear from ear and his eyes shone as tears welled in his eyes. "Aw come here Bow."Adora said and pulled him and Glimmer into a bone-crushing hug. "Best friend squad!"Bow cried happily. Soon they pulled away and Bow got onto Swift Wind then turned to Entrapta. "Well Entrapta,let us go make history!"he said.

Entrapta nodded and they put their horses into a steady trot as Glimmer,Angella and Adora waved them goodbye and watched them leave until they were just tiny specks in the distance.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Bow

The trek towards the science fair was peaceful and relaxing.

He would make small talk with Entrapta from time to time but both had stayed in a peaceful silence. He took out a map from within his travel pack and looked at it. "Alright,"he said to Entrapta. "According to this map we should be on the right path to the science fair."

She nodded. "Do you think your invention is going to win this year?"she asked him. "Yeah,I'm pretty confident this year in my invention."Bow answered,puffing his chest. "Interesting,"Entrapta remarked. "Would you say that the percentage of you winning and your confidence level has risen higher over the last two years?" "Um...Yeah I would say that. Wait,why are you asking that?"he asked.

He looked over at her and saw Entrapta writing rapidly on a small notepad. "Ok what are you writing?"he asked. "Well,according to Mermista's response,I've been doing some research about social interactions to further my understanding on how to interact with people better."Entrapta replied. "Um I'm not sure I follow."Bow said with a confused expression on his face. "It's really simple Bow. For example,if you ask someone a question and they answer it but they begin fidgeting,chewing on their lip or look around constantly,it is usually a sign that they're lying."Entrapta explained.

"And why are you taking note of these things?"Bow asked. "According to Mermista,she said and I quote: "'You need to like work on your social skills and like learn how to be more human.'"Entrapta said,copying Mermista's voice. "Besides,it'll be a fun experiment to try."she added. "Well,if you need any help then don't hesitate to let me know."Bow told her. "Sure thing Bow."she replied,not looking from her notepad.

Bow looked back at his map then looked in back of him and nodded happily with the progress that they had made from the town. Fifteen minutes afterward,they soon reached two pathways with a pole with multiple signs on it. "It seems we have to choose which path to take now,"he muttered to himself while he took another look at his map. "And the map is saying we have to take the left path."

He looked up from the map at the left path. It was dark and eerily quiet,like the calm before an incoming storm,and he could faintly hear the howl of wolves. Bow shuddered at the thought of having to go through there. He looked at the path at the right. It was sunny and was filled with the sounds of chirping birds. It was like a scene right out of a children's fairytale.

_Unfortunately,the left path is the one that will take us to the science fair_ he told himself with a sigh.

He put the map away then grabbed the reins and gave Swift Wind a little kick but he didn't move. "Hey Swift Wind,come on we gotta go if we want to make it to the science fair."Bow told him. Swift Wind seemed to look at the path to his left for a moment then turned his head in the direction of the right path and looked at it for a while.

Then he turned in the direction of the left path and began to walk towards it.

"No Swift Wind. The right path is the way to the science fair."Bow told him,grabbing the reins and forcing his body to turn to the right path. Swift Wind pawed at the ground and pulled against the reins. "Judging by the horse's,or as you call him,Swift Wind's reaction and reluctance to do as he's ordered,I would guess that he's nervous about going on the right path or might even know something."Entrapta stated as she observed Swift Wind and wrote in her notepad. "Nonsense,"Bow replied as he continued to struggle with Swift Wind. "He's just probably scared of the darkness."

After a few more moments of Bow and Swift Wind fighting,Swift Wind finally stopped resisting and let Bow guide him towards the dark path. "Alright,I finally got him to stop resisting."Bow said triumphantly. Swift Wind snorted. "Well we better hurry then if we wish to get to the science fair on time."Entrapta said as she kicked her horse to a steady trot with Bow following right behind.

As they walked through the path Bow constantly looked around in fear,thinking that something was going to jump out from the darkness and attack them. Mist shrouded their view as they couldn't see very far in front of them and the branches of the tree looked like clawed hands stretching out to grab them. _Come on Bow snap out of it_ he told himself. _Nothing is going to hurt you._

But his pep talk didn't help him at all and he still kept watching the forest as they rode in silence.

"Um Bow,"Entrapta said as she glanced around the forest. "Are you sure that we took the right path?"she asked. "I'm starting to think that I might have taken the wrong path,"Bow replied. "We'll just turn around and take the ot-" Suddenly,a howl echoed across the forest,cutting Bow off.

Entrapta,her horse,Swift Wind and Bow instantly stopped.

"Please tell me you heard that too Entrapta."Bow asked,his voice barely even a whisper. "I did. And from the soundwave and echo of the howl,I'd say that the wolves are not too far from us."Entrapta replied unfazed in the slightest. "How are you not panicking right now?"Bow asked. She shrugged. "Alright,well let's just get out of here."Bow urged. He slowly backed Swift Wind up to turn him around but he accidentally bumped him into a tree and dozens of bats suddenly appeared and swarmed around him and Entrapta. Swift Wind and Entrapta's horse neighed loudly in terror as they went on their hind legs,kicking their front legs wildly,then went back on all fours and started galloping off with Entrapta in tow.

"Swift Wind,calm down!"Bow ordered him,grabbing the reins and trying to stop him but Swift Wind ignored him and continued running. Low tree branches whipped across his face as they ran through the forest. "Bow where are you?"he heard Entrapta call out. He looked over his shoulder to see that Entrapta was no longer in sight.

_Where did she go_ he thought worriedly.

He turned his gaze ahead and noticed the mist was thinning. _Oh thank g-_ Seeing something in the distance,he narrowed his gaze then gasped.

About a meter or so before them was a cliff!

_I have to stop Swift Wind now!_

He quickly grabbed the reins and,with all his strength,tugged on the reins. Swift Wind planted his hooves into the ground as he skidded to a stop. _Please don't over the edge. Please don't go over the edge_ Bow prayed in his head.

He could feel Swift Wind slowing down to a stop and was about to sigh with relief when the cart carrying his invention bumped hard into Swift Wind. Spooked,he bucked and flinged Bow clean off him. He screamed in terror as he flew over Swift Wind and down the cliff. He landed heavily on the ground and rapidly rolled down the cliff unable to tell up from down,left from right. Slowly he stopped rolling completely and laid down on the ground on his back with his eyes closed,groaning in pain and trying to catch his breath.

"Ah!"he heard someone scream. He opened his eyes to see Entrapta rolling down the cliffside towards him. Before he could even move to get out of her way she crashed heavily into him causing him to yelp as pain shot through him. "Oh sorry about that Bow."Entrapta apologized. "No,no. It's fine."Bow said as he slowly got up,wincing in pain,then began looking around. They seemed to have fallen into a lower part of the forest as snow was falling down from the sky. Where in the world are we and how far did we fall he wondered. "By my calculations,it's safe to say that we won't get to the science fair at all."Entrapta said.

"Nonsense,"Bow replied. "We will make it. We just need to find a way to get back up there." He looked up at the cliffside and was just able to see Swift Wind and Entrapta's horse at the edge,neighing loudly. "It's alright Swift Wind. We're alright."Bow yelled,his hands cupped around his mouth,then turned to Entrapta. "Ok,let's see if we ca-" "Um Bow,you might want to see this."Entrapta said,pointing to their left.

He turned his gaze from her towards where she was pointing.

His eyes flew open in terror.

Six dark gray,yellow-eyed wolves were appearing from within the forest,snarling and growling. "Oh no."Bow whispered,slowly backing away. Swift Wind and Entrapta's horse began neighing,most likely seeing the wolves. "Bow,what do we do?"Entrapta asked him and Bow could've sworn that he heard fear in her voice. "We run!"he yelled. Without another second,he grabbed Entrapta's hand and dashed off towards the forest with the wolves trailing behind. As they ran,Bow turned his head back towards the horses and yelled,"Swift Wind! Get Adora!" before they disappeared deeper into the forest.

* * *

Catra

_Is there not one thing in this insufferable forest that can bring me some sort of entertainment_ she thought angrily.

There were no more villages around the abandoned castle she called home for her to attack and very few people came into her territory to keep her wits about or simply just attack. The most fun she had in the last years was hunting for prey. _Even that is no longer a challenge since I am twice the size of any creature here and have double the strength_ she thought.

That was about the only thing that Catra would ever thank that wretched enchantress for.

She raised her head and sniffed the air tentatively before catching the scent of a deer or elk. Hopefully,at the very least,this elk or deer will fight back. She sniffed the air once more before turning north and running full speed,constantly sniffing the air to stay on its trail. The falling snowflakes clung to her thick fur that wasn't covered in clothes making her tan colored fur look pure white. She knew that she didn't have to wear clothes but she decided to anyway. She weaved nimbly through the trees as her paws kept her from sinking in the snow. Minutes later,she began to realise that the elk or deer's scent was much stronger and slowed her run to a steady jog for a few minutes before the scent became overwhelming.

She placed her body into a crouch position and silently began stalking forward following the scent trail until her prey came into view. An almost abnormally large elk was a meter away from here,its fur looking pure white though she could see bits of brown fur here and there and huge antlers sprouting from its head,nibbling on some grass. Catra smiled. _This one will be a good opponent and feast once I kill it_.

With her stealth and the wind blowing downwind from her,she would be able to sneak up on it without a hitch. Slowly and carefully,she stalked toward the elk,her belly brushing the ground. She managed to cover half the distance between her and the elk before her back leg stepped on a small twig. The elk raised its head in alarm,looked at Catra then bolted. "Darn it!"she spat. She hurled herself after it,realising with a wave of disappointment,that the elk was limping.

_Even the stupid prey here are a complete disappointment._

She gathered her strength and in one bound leapt from the ground onto the elk's back. Unable to support her weight,the elk staggered down on the ground. Catra placed a paw firmly on its neck,watching with a small smirk as the elk bucked and struggled to get free from her grasp but to no avail. "You want to be free so badly,"she whispered to the elk,not caring that it didn't understand her. "To live forever without fear of being killed and eaten. But no matter how much you try to live without fear,the world simply denies you that wish. Reminds you that it's simply the way your life was made to be...Just like it does to me."

Her claws unintentionally unsheathed from her paws and as she spoke she tightened her grip on the elk's and her claws dug into its neck causing it to shriek in pain. She could feel her anger slowly rising within her like a tidal wave and the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. _Don't cry,don't cry_ she told herself but she could feel the tears starting to well up more in her eyes. She turned her head to the elk and stared at it for a long time until she managed to calm herself down and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Unfortunately for you elk,today's the day you will be killed."she said before raising her paw and slashing her claws across its neck. Blood splattered onto the snow,turning it red,as the elk stilled.

She stood over the elk,breathing heavily. _Weak_ a dark voice whispered in her head menacingly. _You were always weak_. "Shut up."she snarled to herself. She crouched down beside the elk and tore off a chunk of meat and began eating. The meat was soft,tender and full of flavor. Catra let out a little growl of appreciation as she continued eating.

She had eaten half the elk before a yell echoed through the forest. "Swift Wind! Get Adora!" Catra leapt into the air,startled with her fur bristled,as she looked around for the cause of the yell but found nothing.

_What in the world was that_ she thought confused for a moment before realisation clicked in.

She turned away from the elk to one of the trees near her and leapt,claws unsheathed,and gripped the bark with her front paws and used her back legs to push her up the tree. Once she neared the branches,she cocked her back legs and jumped towards the branch,catching it with her front paws and pulled herself up onto it. She steadied herself on the branch before she looked to the next nearby tree and leapt onto that branch then leapt onto the next branch. She continued jumping from branch to branch moving like a shadow towards the main path in the forest.

_There's no way that yell was caused by what I think it was. It can't be._

Soon after,she neared the main path of her territory that if anyone were passing by would take it. Staying in the trees,she sniffed the air but found no scent other than the stale scent of a deer. She looked down at the path and saw no footprints in the snow or,for the matter,any indication of someone being in her territory. _Either the person is somewhere else in the forest or I'm finally going crazy after all these years_ Catra thought.

"Now is not the time for collecting data Entrapta!"a voice cried. Catra snapped her head to the side and what she saw was confusing. Two people were running and screaming as a pack of wolves was hot on their heels,chasing them. "This is the chance of a lifetime Bow!"the girl shouted to the boy,looking more thrilled by the chase than terrified like the boy was.

_ How in the world did these two managed to get in this part of the forest_ Catra thought. _Also what kind of name is Bow. Does this dude like practice archery a lot_?

The two strangers ran right past her,unaware. Not wanting to lose them,Catra turned to the tree in front of her and bounded branch from branch,soon keeping up with them. She then realised that ahead of the running strangers was a steep hillside. The two must've noticed because the boy,supposedly named Bow,yelled,"Keep running Entrapta! We need to reach safety soon!" Catra noticed that the trees ahead were coming to an end. _Must be the treeline of the forest_ Catra thought. Suddenly,a strong scent hit her full on in the face that she nearly fell off the branch she was on.

_That...that's my scent marker._

Quickly,she bounded from the branches,easily outrunning the two strangers,until she got to the treeline and was greeted with the sight of her home. She turned her attention to the hillside in time to see the two strangers rolling down the hill and once they reached the end hurriedly got up,nearly falling flat on their faces as the wolves abruptly stopped at the edge of the hillside,whining and growling after their lost meal but not daring to cross the invisible line due to this being her territory.

She turned her attention back to the humans who had pushed the gate open,quickly closed it behind them and ran towards the ruined castle without a second thought. Her curiosity instantly turned to anger. In all the years she had lived here,no one had ever dared approach her home nevermind enter it. _How dare they enter my home like they own it_ she thought. _Well,I'm going to make them regret doing that._

She cocked her back legs,like a crossbow being cocked,then launched through the air sailing past the iron gate and landed heavily on the ground. Immediately she walked to the castle front door and placed her ear against it,listening intensely for any noise. When she heard nothing she moved her head from the door and slowly pushed the door open,wincing as it groaned. Silent but swift she entered into her domain stalking through the long,dark hallway of the castle,sniffing the air to pin-point the two strangers' exact location.

"Thank the gods we found this abandoned castle otherwise we would have been dog food." Catra whirled her head to the right and realised that the strangers were in the chamber where both the fireplace and her chair was. "I know. The chances of such luck is less and one percent! I also would like to add that this chair is remarkably comfortable." She could feel her fur bristling at the thought of strangers in her domain sitting on her chair and the familiar rage boiling over her. However,she didn't want to kill them. At least,not right away. She wanted to instill some terror into them and have a little fun before she decided to dispose of them. She smiled at the thought as she stopped before the door.

_Playtime's over._

She stood on her back legs and threw the doors open,the force causing a gust of wind strong enough to extinguish the fire completely and turning the bright lit room pitch black. She let out a threatening growl as she went back on all fours and slowly creeped towards the strangers. "I know you're here,"she said,making her voice as dark and menacing as possible. "There's no use in hiding." She could hear the two strangers muttering to each other in panicked voices and she allowed herself a small smile.

She silently stalked over to the chair,staying undetected,and stayed on the left side of the chair waiting until the strangers turned their heads in the opposite direction before revealing herself. The two strangers turned their heads in her direction and their expressions of pure terror was enough to make Catra grin ear to ear which only seemed to make them look more frightened. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"she growled stalking closer to them as they hurriedly got out of her chair,nearly tripping over each other,and backed away from her. "I-I I'm s-sorry,"the dark skinned boy,Bow,said,his voice trembling and cracking multiple times. "We were l-l-lost in t-the woods and…" "You're not welcomed here!"Catra roared,tired of hearing the boy babble and stammer.

"W-we're sorry."Bow apologised,grabbing onto the purple-haired girl's hand as he continued to stare at her. "What are you staring at?"she growled,standing at her full height and completely towering over them. "N-n-nothing…"tBow said shaking his head as he continued to stare at her. _This boy has some nerve!_ "So,you've come to stare at the beast,have you?"she snarled,her voice rising in volume and anger. Bow and Entrapta looked at each other for a split second then hurriedly turned around to run but Catra was on them in a flash,jumping over them and blocking their path.

"Please,we meant no harm! We just needed a place to stay!"Entrapta pleaded. Catra found it shocking at first that though the girl had been chased by a pack of wolves earlier,Catra hadn't heard a single bit of terror as what she was hearing now. The shock quickly faded to pride that she could install fear in them then anger that they thought they could just come into her domain without her say! "I'll give you a place to stay!"she growled as she stood on her legs and,before they could process anything,grabbed them by the shoulder and lifted them up. "No! Please no!"they cried pleadingly but she paid them no mind.

_You needed a place to stay and a place you shall get._


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Adora

Adora wished with all her being that she could simply block out Hordak's words from her memory. Stop them from whirling around in her head over and over again.

But no matter how much she tried,they stayed in her memory. "I can't wait to see Bow with his trophy in his hands."she heard Glimmer said excitedly while she took a mouthful of her dinner. "I do too dear. However,with the way Entrapta has won the past science fairs,I won't be surprised if she wins once again."Angella replied.

"Um mom,who's side are you on?"Glimmer asked,pointing her fork at her mother. "I'm not choosing sides,Glimmer."Angella told her. "I'm just simply stating the facts." Glimmer placed her hand on her forehead in an exaggerated way. "I know this day would come,"Glimmer said dramatically. "My mother has finally betrayed me." Angella sighed in exasperation while shaking her head.

Adora tuned them out as she scuffled her food around on her plate as she thought.

_ Hordak's right. They're all right. No matter how hard I try,I'll never truly belong here._ Sometimes,she often wondered what it would be like to be somewhere where she truly belonged. Where being an orphan didn't mean you were ridiculed.

"Adora!"

She shot up straight in her chair and looked around wildly. She then realised that it had been Glimmer who called her. "Adora,are you ok? You completely zoned out there."Glimmer said. "Yeah I'm fine."she replied,not looking at Glimmer or Angella. She felt a hand clasp softly over hers and looked up to see Angella staring at her with worry and warmth in her eyes.

"Are you sure? You've been rather quiet after coming from the town."she said softly. Adora knew she could tell Angella and Glimmer anything and they would try their best to help her. But she didn't want to burden them with her problems. Most of the time,she often wondered if Angella ever regretted taking her in when she found her. "Yeah I'm fine."she said as she removed her hand from Angella's and continued eating. She could feel their stares on her as she ate but she ignored them,instead staring at the food before her.

Dinner passed quickly with very little conversation,which Adora was thankful for,and she volunteered to clean the dishes. Once that last dish was clean,she dried her hands in a towel then walked back to the dining table while Glimmer and Angella quietly talked to each other. "Can I go outside for a bit?"she asked Angella. Angella nodded and Adora left the kitchen,walked towards the door then went outside. Closing the door behind her,she headed over to the hillside that was past the small forest area on the left of their house.

Once she reached the top of the hill,she looked over at the horizon where the evening sun was setting,covering the sky and land alike in a golden glow as the warm spring breeze blew across her face lightly like a warm embrace.

The sun being the sky to signal the beginning and end of a day,the wind breezing through the trees,the grass swaying in the breeze,the birds chriping happily.

_This must be what it means to belong_ she thought to herself. _To have a place within life._ A loud,shrill neigh abruptly sounded,shocking Adora from her peaceful state. She whirled her head to the side and saw two horses running wildly towards her. Narrowing her eyes,she saw that it was Swift Wind and Entrapta's horse but neither Bow or Entrapta were with them.

A cold feeling of dread seized her.

_ If the horses were here then something must have happened to them. _

The horses skidded to a stop near her,neighing at the top of their lungs. "Hey,hey. Calm down you two,"Adora said as she grabbed their reins and forced them to stay still. "Swift Wind,where is Bow and Entrapta?" Swift Wind pawed at the ground with his hoof as he whined softly. Shaking her head,she led them back to the house then,rather forcefully,knocked on the door.

Glimmer opened it seconds afterward and opened her mouth to say something but Adora cut her off. "Something happened to Bow and Entrapta!"she exclaimed. Glimmer's face scrunched in confusion. "How do you know that?"she asked. "Both Entrapta's horse and Swift Wind are here but Bow and Entrapta aren't."Adora said,moving to the side for Glimmer to see. She poked her head from the doorframe and looked at the two horses for a moment then looked back at Adora in horror.

"Mom!"she yelled into the house. "What is it Glimmer?"Angella said as she appeared behind Glimmer. "Something bad has happened to Bow and Entrapta. Both their horses are here but they aren't!"she exclaimed. Adora could've sworn she saw all the color drain from Angella's face as her eyes widened in horror.

"This can't be happening."she said in a whisper. "We have no idea where they could be!"Glimmer said,her breathing becoming ragged as she panicked for a moment before she stilled then looked at Angella. "We can get Hordak to go find them."she said. "He's a hunter so he might be able to track them down." "You don't need to get Hordak,"Adora told them. "I'll go look for them myself."

"Adora no!"Glimmer protested as Angella said,"You will not!" "Listen,I know you guys don't want me to look for them but it would be better if I went to look for them. Like you said Glimmer,Hordak is a hunter. The best one in this town. With winter soon approaching,we need him to hunt for the town."Adora argued. Both Glimmer and Angella didn't argue,seemingly seeing the logic in her statement.

"Well then it doesn't have to be Hordak! We can ask someone else."Glimmer said. "That will take too long! If I go now,I'll be able to find and bring them back."Adora protested. Angella looked at Adora thoughtfully before she finally spoke. "Alright. You can go." "Mom! We can't let her go! What if something happens to her while she's out there?"Glimmer protested. "We have to hope that Adora won't get hurt."Angella replied before looking at Adora.

"I'll give you three days to get them. If you,Bow and Entrapta back then I will get Hordak to find you all."she said firmly. Adora nodded,seeing as it made sense. Angella looked at Adora for a long,tense moment before she sighed heavily. Her shoulders sagged as her back hunched over slightly and in that moment Adora realised with a start the Angella looked older.

Like she had been wearing a cloak over her and it suddenly was yanked off her to show her true self. Angella gently placed her hands on Adora's face and placed a light kiss on her forehead. "Stay safe."she murmured.

Adora nodded as she smiled. Angella was one of the few peoples in her life that ever made her feel like she wasn't an outcast. To the point of taking her in as one of her own. That simple gesture was always enough to make Adora feel better about herself though it never lasted. She turned to Glimmer to say something but Glimmer ran into her and wrapped her arms around in a tight hug.

"Please come back."she heard Glimmer whisper. Adora chuckled as she hugged Glimmer back. "Don't worry. I'll be back with Bow and Entrapta."she told her. She heard Glimmer sigh before releasing her and stepped back. Adora turned and headed towards Swift Wind then got onto him.

She looked behind her to Glimmer and Angella. They waved at her and she waved back then turned forward. "Let's go find Bow and Entrapta."she said to Swift Wind as she took the reins,spurring him forward to find her friends.

* * *

**Author's note: I know this chapter took a while to get posted but at the moment I'm working on three other stories so it will take time. Anyway,with all that said I hope you all enjoy it and stay safe and healthy.**


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Adora

_Why does __this forest have to look like a little kid's nightmare_ she thought as Swift Wind trotted through the forest that she guessed Entrapta and Bow had passed through.

She had no idea if this had been the path Bow and Entrapta took and had to hope that Swift Wind was leading her in the right direction. _You_ _would think that with Bow having a map he wouldn't get lost _Adora thought to herself. She wondered,though,where Bow and Entrapta were considering how long the forest seemed to go on for and there seemed to be only one way through it.

Despite the dark,gloomy forest and its frightening atmosphere,she was determined to get her friends back home safely and even a bit hopeful that after she rescued them the village would see that she had a place with them. That they would no longer see her as the orphan girl but as one of their own.

She then heard Swift Wind snort loudly,breaking her train of thought. "What is it,Swift Wind?"she asked him. That's when she noticed that he had stopped moving. She glanced over his side and saw that they had reached the edge of a cliffside. Swift Wind pawed at the ground anxiously and snorted. "Is that where they went?"Adora asked him softly. He neighed in response. She got off Swift Wind and walked over to the edge to look over the cliff.

The cliff went straight down then sloped upward near the bottom and was a long drop down. While it didn't look long enough where,if you fell,you would die but you would definitely be bruised,sore and,if unlucky,get a few broken bones. She looked back at Swift Wind. "Did Bow and Entrapta go down there?"Adora asked. He snorted but his head bobbed up and down in a nodding motion.

_Well there's no way I'm dropping down there s_he thought. _Maybe there's a path that leads down there._

She turned around and began to walk back the way she came,looking amidst the trees and bushes for a pathway that led to the bottom of the cliff. After about five minutes of searching she started to get frustrated. _I'm_ _starting_ _to __think_ _I _ _might just have to jump down. _

Just then,she pushed two bushes apart and saw a stone pathway behind them. Her frustration instantly vanished as she pushed through the bushes to check the pathway. It seemed that it sloped down and around in a spiral formation and was just wide enough for two people to walk side by side. However,it seemed very rocky and one misstep could cause a fatal fall.

She turned back and headed back to Swift Wind who was watching the forest behind him nervously. "It's ok boy. We'll be ok."she told him softly." She grabbed the reins and guided him back into the forest towards the stone pathway. Leading the way,she cautiously walked down the pathway while making sure Swift Wind didn't take a misstep and fell. It felt like hours had passed before Adora and Swift Wind finally made it to the end of the pathway.

Letting out a breath she hadn't known she was holding,she looked ahead,noticing they were surrounded by forest and there was only one path through the trees.

_ If_ _Bow and __Entrapta_ _landed_ _where I am,they have to have gone this way. _

She got up onto Swift Wind and said,"Go boy."before she flicked the reins. Swift Wind snorted as he went into a full on gallop,the trees and falling snow just a blur as he ran. It felt like seconds before Adora saw something looming in the distance. She narrowed her eyes and realised that what she was seeing was a castle!

_What in the name of Etheria is a castle doing there_?

A large,metal gate came into view and she lightly pulled on the reins,slowing his gallop to a fast trot then stopped him completely before the gate. She slowly got off him and walked up to the gate. She could see the patches of rust on the gates and even bits of the bars on it completely broken off. She placed her hand on one of the ok bars and pushed the gate open,wincing at the loud croaking noise that echoed through the air.

She walked through the gate,with Swift Wind in tow,then turned to face him. "Stay here Swift Wind."she told him. Swift Wind looked around at the castle and snorted as he pawed at the ground. Stopping him from going wild,she softly placed her hand on his snout and looked him directly in the eye. "Hey,hey. It's alright,i'll be ok."she whispered. He stopped pawing at the ground and visibly relaxing as he nuzzled her softly.

Letting out a small chuckle she patted his snout gently then turned and looked at the castle. She could see the stones were crumbling due to,what see assumed,how long the castle was here. It casted a shadow over her and Swift Wind as it towered into the dark sky. Pushing away the fear from her thoughts,she walked across the castle's yard towards the door,stopping directly before it. _Bow_,_Entrapta_,_please be here_ she thought hopefully.

Steeling her courage,she pushed the castle door open and walked inside.

* * *

Catra

She didn't know what she was going to do with the two humans. She stood in the shadows of the dark dungeon watching the boy,Bow,as he was curled in a ball mumbling to himself while the girl,Entrapta,paced in the cell looking at it with interest.

_Something is odd about that girl _Catra thought.

She could just leave them in the cell to starve and slowly wither away,fitting as they trespassed onto her land. But that would mean that she would have to deal with them until they died and she didn't have the patience for it. Another option was to interrogate them for answers. After all she thought. If they are from a village she needed to know how they found her castle,if anyone would be looking for them and,for her own amusement,potential things she could destroy in the future.

They were in the best state for her to question and easily get answers from them and if there were people looking for them,she didn't want more people knowing where she was. _Dealing_ _with_ these _two will have already taken up my patience_ she thought to herself in annoyance. Stepping from the shadows,she banged her fist against the bars. Bow and Entrapta both jumped at the abrupt noise and upon seeing her,both their faces paled in terror.

Catra smiled,making sure to show her pointed fangs,before speaking. "Well,well. This is certainly a surprise. Two little lambs find themselves lost in the forest and never realised that they'd entered the lair of the beast. Little did they know that the beast wasn't keen on taking visitors!"she snarled. Bow practically jumped from the cell bars and scooted to the opposite side while Entrapta took a step back. She could see the fear fading from Entrapta's eyes to be replaced with curiosity as she watched Catra.

_Something_ is _wrong _with that _one_ Catra thought to herself.

"Please don't hurt us!"Bow pleaded,his voice cracking due to the intense fear he was feeling. "We didn't mean any harm!" Catra narrowed her eyes at him. "If you truly didn't mean any harm and are true to your word,then you won't mind answering a few of my questions."she said,making sure to soften her tone to ease the boy but not too much to let him know she wanted an answer soon. He nodded. "Good. Now,how did you find this castle?"she asked him. "W-we were s-simply going to a science fair and we happened t-to get lost,"Bow said hurriedly,often stuttering and tripping over his words.

"Then a pack of wolves began chasing us and we came across this castle. We only meant to take shelter for a while!" Catra let a small,sinister smile creep across her face. "Well,it seems that got your wish on that now didn't you?"she said. She then dropped the face and soft tone in her voice as she said,"Judging by your looks,you two seem like you're from some sort of village. But the question is,where is that village?" She saw Bow open his mouth to answer her question but then a look of thoughtfulness crossed his face and he didn't say a word. Catra had to give the boy some credit. She knew he hadn't answered her question because he most likely assumed that if he told her where his village was,he could potentially be putting his home in danger.

She looked at Entrapta and saw that she wasn't going to answer her question either. _Maybe they aren't as stupid as I thought._

However,she wasn't in the mood for their heroism. She clutched the bars in her hands and pushed her face close to them. "I'm not going to ask again. Where is your village?"she snarled,dropping the soft tone immediately. Both Bow and Eantrapta looked scared and conflicted. Silence flooded the dungeon and just as Catra was about to lose her patience,she heard someone call out,"Bow,Entrata!" Her ears perked. She sideglanced at them and felt her curiosity perk when seeing the recognition in their eyes. "Adora?"she heard Entrapta whisper.

That's when it clicked in.

_That was the name I heard before I came across these two she thought. And it seems that they know her. S_he smiled to herself.

_This is going to be good._

"So you two know this person?"Catra asked them. Neither of them answered but the fear in their eyes answered her enough. "Well if you do know her,you better prepare your goodbyes because this will be the last time you see her." "No!"Bow said,keeping his voice quiet. He seemingly forgot his fear as he launched at the cell bars and held them tightly in his hands. "Please don't hurt her!"Entrapta pleaded,keeping her voice low as well. Catra was momentarily shocked at hearing the distress in the girl's plea. Even when Catra had threatened them upon their arrival,the girl didn't sound as scared as she did now.

_Not only do they know this trespasser but apparently really care for her._

"Hey now,I'm not a complete monster. I'll let you guys say your goodbyes before I...set an example. In fact,"she added,looking at them and smiling coldly. "I'll even lead her to you both." With that she ran off,ignoring the two's pleas as she looked for the intruder. Silent but swift,she listened attentively for the intruder.

Of course,she didn't exactly make it hard for her as she called,"Bow,Entrapta," from time to time. She had reached the upper part of the castle where she could overlook the central stairs and the bottom floor when she saw the intruder enter into the room where she captured her prisoners.

It was a young,almost shockingly so,female. She was tall and pale with long,blond hair and was wearing a long,black cloak. Catra sniffed the air,to see if anyone else was with this intruder or Adora as her prisoners called her,but only the girl's scent was in the air.

_This makes things easier for me she_ told herself.

She brandished her claws then placed it onto the railing and dragged them slowly across it,making a loud shrill noise. It worked. The girl came out of the room and looked around the castle. "Bow? Entrapta?"she called out,slowly making her way to the central stairs. Catra stalked back near the top of the stairs,making sure to stay within the shadows,as she did the same thing again.

Once again,she saw Adora snap her head in the direction and walked over to her,this time walking faster,as she hurried towards the source of the noise. Catra continued the same method,backtracking a safe distance from the girl then dragging her claws across stone,until she neared the two's cell. She looked at Bow and Entrapta with a cold smile and said,"Say your last goodbye."before she vanished into the darkness and waited for Adora to appear before them. "Bow? Entrapta? Can you hear me?"Catra heard Adora call out. "Adora!"Entrapta yelled out. "Entrapta?"Adora answered back before she finally appeared into the dungeon.

She saw Adora's face contort to horror when she saw Bow and Entrapta in the cell. "Bow,Entrapta! Who did this to you?"she asked as she ran up to their cell and kneeled in front of them. "Adora! You need to turn back now!"Bow said in a panic as he looked around most likely for her. "Turn back?"Adora said in confusion. "Bow,I came here to get you and Entrapta back to the village." "Adora,listen to us!"Entrapta said as she grabbed Adora's hand through the bars. "You need to get out of here. There's this beast that put us in here! If you don't leave now,she'll hurt you!"

Catra silently stalked towards the girl as she spoke. "A beast? Entrapta,there's no way in the castle,"Adora said dismissively as she got up and looked carefully at the cell. "Come on,help me find a way to open the cell." "Adora forget the cell! Get out of here now before it's too late!"Bow said frantically. Getting tired of the whole facade,Catra went on her hind legs and spoke. "Unfortunately,it's already too late for you."

She saw Adora whirl around,her face a mix of shock and confusion,as Bow and Entrapta face's were marked in horror. Catra knew they could only see her yellow and blue eyes as the rest of her was shrouded by darkness. "Adora run!"Bow yelled. "Who are you?"Adora asked. "The master of this castle."Catra answered coldly. "Are you the one who locked my friends in this cell?"the girl asked. "Yes,"Catra growled as she took a step closer to the girl. "If you haven't noticed,I don't take kindly to trespassers or intruders." "I've come to take them home. Just let them go and we won't bother you again."Adora replied.

"No!"Catra roared. "They have trespassed on my territory! In my castle! Now they must deal with the punishment!" "Please,there must be something I can do for you to let them free."the girl begged. "There's nothing you can do for them,they are my prisoners. And as I don't like intruders,I'll have to make an example out of you."Catra snarled. She raised her paw,claws unsheathed,as she prepared to slash at the girl. "Wait!"Adora cried,holding her hand out.

_Just give up already_ Catra though but paused,waiting to hear what pathetic rambling the girl would say or beg to spare her life. "Take me instead."Adora said.

Catra's eyes flew wide open in shock.

_ Did she just...sacrifice herself for those two? _It didn't make sense to her at all. Sure,this girl was friends with the two but Catra had learned that friendships didn't stop people from leaving their friend behind to suffer through their pains.

To give up their own freedom for the sake of others.

"You...would take their place?"she asked the girl. "Adora no! You don't know what you're getting yourself into!"Bow protested,slamming his hands against the bars. The girl ignored them as she stared directly at Catra. "If I stay here,will you let them go?" Catra stayed silent as she thought.

_Should I let them free or just keep the two and kill the girl? _She knew that if she took the girl's deal then Bow and Entrapta would go to their village and bring more people to her home to get Adora back. Where as if she simply kept the two and killed the girl,no one could bother her. Suddenly,she remembered her old friends and the curse that wretched enchantress put upon her and the only way to undo it was by trusting someone and getting their trust in return.

_Maybe this girl can be the one to make me break it_ Catra thought.

"Yes,"Catra said almost hesitantly,in case she decided against her decision. "But only on two conditions." "Adora don't do this!"Entrapta begged. "What are your conditions?"she asked. "You must give me your word that you must stay here forever and if I let them go,they must not make anyone else come here or in my territory to bring you back."Catra said.

Adora opened her mouth to say something but seemed to stop herself as a thoughtful expression crossed her face. Moments afterward,she looked back at Catra. "I want to see who you are." Catra had half a mind to snarl at her but decided to comply. Slowly,she placed her leg into the ray of light before fully stepping into it and standing to her full height.

The girl gasped as she took a hurried step away from her. Catra expected her to take back her deal with the immense fear on her face but she soon closed her eyes for a few seconds then turned to face Bow and Entrapta. "I need you both to swear to me that you'll never come back here or bring anyone else to look for me." "Adora you know we can't promise something like that!"Bow said. "Bow's right. You'll be in constant danger."Entrapta agreed.

"Then how about this,"Catra said,getting annoyed with the whole exchange. "If you two or anyone of your villagers come into my territory to look for her,they die." Bow and Entrapta looked at each other for a long while,having a silent discussion from their stare,before they sighed heavily and the boy looked at her. "No one will come into your territory to look for Adora. You have our word." Catra smirked before turning to look at Adora,waiting for her answer. The girl looked at Catra and said,"You have my word to stay here."

"Done."Catra growled. She walked past Adora and forcefully opened the cell door then grabbed the two by their shirts and dragged them. "Adora! Don't do this!"they cried out but Catra tuned out their noises as she dragged them out of her castle towards the gate.

She saw a horse waiting outside the gates and was relieved that they would be out of her way faster. Before she let them go,she lifted them up until they were eye level with her. "If I even suspect that you two or anyone from your village came into my territory,I will find your village and slaughter everyone you love."she growled coldly then tossed them at the horse and watched as they hurriedly got onto the horse.

Once they were ready to go,they both looked back at the castle for a split moment for turning ahead and rode off. Catra watched them until they were no longer in her sight before turning around and headed back into the castle to deal with the girl.

* * *

**Author's note: I know I haven't posted in a while but as I said before,updates will be very slow nowadays. Plus,I was crying and sobbing after watching season 5 of She-ra XD. I mean come on,that ending couldn't have been better. Anyway,I hope you all enjoy and stay safe.**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Adora

_Bow,Entrapta please stay and keep the others safe_ she prayed as she kneeled on the cold,stone floor in front of the cell that Bow and Entrapta had been in moments before. Bow might have thought that her decision was rash but she wasn't going to let them die if she could help them.

_ My only regret is that I'll never be able to see them again._

She heard the loud footsteps echoing through the castle towards her and knew the beast as Entrapta had called them was coming. Here goes nothing she told herself just as the beast came. Adora was still shocked by how tall the beast was. Roughly about eight feet tall. Adora would be lying to herself if she said that the beast in front of her didn't terrified her immensely. The beast looked down at her with narrowed eyes silently for a long,uncomfortable moment before saying gruffly,"Follow me," and walked away.

Hesitantly,she got to her feet and followed the beast down a spiral staircase,through a dark hallway in silence for two minutes before she finally asked,"What is your name?" The beast looked over their shoulder at her and stayed silent long enough that Adora thought the beast was ignoring her but then the beast grumbled,"It's Catra." Adora nodded.

They neared the end of the hallway when Catra abruptly halted and Adora stopped herself just in time from bumping into her then noticing that they had stopped in front of a door. Catra roughly pushed the door open and moved out of her way. "This will be your room."she said as Adora stepped inside and looked around. It was a fairly large room with a large,comfy looking bed in the middle. A nightstand with a decorated lamp was on the left side on the bed with a big,white wardrobe near it. A small table with a mirror attached to it with a small drawer was on the wall opposite from the bed near the door. "You may go anywhere in the castle except for the west wing."

That piqued her curiosity.

"Why can't I g-" "Because I said so!"Catra snarled,whirled around to face her and her fur bristled,making her look twice as big. Adora took a hasty step back from Catra,eyes wide in fear. Her fur slowly went flat as she took a deep breath before speaking again. "Despite you promising to stay in this castle,you must tell me when you wish to go outside and will not go past the gate." She leaned closer to her and growled,"If I catch you going past the gate or leaving the castle without my knowing,I'll take it as you breaking your word and perhaps pay your friends and village a visit."

Adora's eyes widened in fear at the undisguised threat. Catra moved back,a grin on her face,as she straightened. "That is all. I'll see you tomorrow morning."she said before she roughly closed the door. Adora stayed in front of the door for a few moments before heading over to the bed and collapsed onto it. The bed was incredibly soft but Adora didn't care about that. She was now tapped within the castle and would never be able to see her friends ever again. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and falling down her cheeks as she cried softly.

She knew she did the right thing but it didn;t lessen the pain anymore.

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Catra

She quietly closed the castle door behind her before instantly going into a full-on run. She leaped high over the metal gate and headed into the forest. She wanted to see if the spell was still holding fast before she went into any planning. Slowing her run to a full-on stop she sniffed the air,managing to catch the faint scent of Bow and Entrapta. She ran through the forest,following the scent trail,kicking up snow behind her.

Soon the scent of Bow and Entrapta became overpowered by her scent markers,signalling that she was nearing the edge of her territory and slowed her run to a steady jog. This is it she thought. The cursed magic of the enchantress that kept me here for years. Catra knew the day she ever saw that enchantress once again,she would shred her into so many pieces that no one would ever recognise what she once looked like. The spell the enchantress had placed had created a shield around the forest that managed to keep her within the forest but also camouflaged into the forest,making it look like there wasn't a shield to begin with. She lifted her paw and moved it slowly towards the shield. It made a rippling motion,like when a stone drops in a puddle,and it intensified the closer she put her paw to it.

_It's like the thing has an alarm only meant for me Catra thought._

She moved her paw away then took a few steps back. Bunching her muscles,she stilled her body for a moment before taking off,dashing across the snow covered ground then,once she was in distance of the shield,leaped towards it. The instant her body hit the shield,it made a sort of wave motion and pushed her back,making her fall heavily on her back.

Snarling,she got up and ran towards it and jumped into it which pushed her back and she landed on her feet. _How is this thing still holding after all these years?_

Once more,she ran towards the shield,this time stopping in front of it and slashing her paw across the shield. It rippled but did not break. She continued hitting the shield each hit feuling her anger and frustration as it held strong.

_Why won't you break already?! _

With a furious roar she lifted her paw,then with all her strength,brought it down onto the shield. The shield rippled and wavered like a wave but did not break. She stood in front of the shield,panting heavily and glaring as the snow fell down and the cool night wind blew through her fur. _Seems like I've got some planning to do Catra thought._

Shaking the snow off her fur,she turned around and headed back to the castle,a plan beginning to form in her mind.

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**Author's note: Sorry that this chapter's so short but hopefully you all enjoy it nonetheless. Next chapter won't be as short.**


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Bow

He couldn't feel anything.

He was completely and utterly numb as he and Entrapta made their way back home.

Without Adora.

He shook his head. "Bow?"Entrapta asked hesitantly. "W..What are we going to tell the others?" "I don't know Entrapta."Bow answered,wishing that he had an answer for her. Entrapta nodded and they remained silent the rest of the way. _What am I going to tell the others _Bow thought_._ _I want to get back Adora but not if everyone else has to die._

The black soon faded to the bright glow of morning before they finally reached the village. _At long last_ Bow thought to himself. Exhaustion was weighing down on him and he barely was able to stay on the horse. He heard the cries of "Bow! Entrapta!" and "They're back!" as he headed towards Glimmer's house. It soon appeared into view and he saw both Glimmer and Angella at the front of the house. "Bow! Entrapta!"Glimmer shouted happily as she waved to them. Bow stopped the horse and got off and tried to walked over to them but exhaustion had taken its toll and he collapsed onto the ground. "Bow!"he heard Glimmer and tried to tell her that he was ok but his eyes closed and darkness took him.

* * *

"Yes,he is quite alright. I need you all to leave so I can get to work."

The loud voices stirred him awake. His eyes fluttered open. An elderly lady was hunching over a table with a bowl. "Hello?"he called his voice cracking. The lady turned to him. She was elderly with a wrinkled face but her wide smile gave her a youthful energy. "Ah,you're awake."she said,clasping her hands together. "I've been asleep?"Bow asked. "Yes,for quite some time too dear." She drained the water from the towel then walked over to him and lightly dabbed it on his forehead. Bow sighed softly at the cold,damp cloth touched his forehead. "It seemed you and that girl needed a good rest."the lady replied.

At first Bow didn't understand what the lady meant by that girl. Then he remembered Entrapta. "Entrapta! How is she?"he asked. "She is fine. You and her were asleep for three hours now."she answered,walking back to the table. Bow opened his mouth to ask another question but heard hurrying footsteps and saw Glimmer appear at the doorway. "Bow!"she cried,dashing forward and hugging him tightly. "Hey,hey. I'm ok see."he said softly. "I thought I lost you."she whispered. "And we're glad you're back safely." Bow looked up to see Angella enter the room alongside his two dads. "Son!"they cried in unison as they both ran and hugged him tightly.

"Can't breath."Bow choked out. "Sorry,sorry."Goerge said as they untangled their arms from around him. "Are you ok,son?Lance asked him. "He is fine sirs,"the lady answered for him. "He has no physical wounds,just tired." Lance nodded and turned back to him. "We're just glad to have you back safely."he said. "Thanks dad."Bow said. "Bow," He turned his head to see Angella looking at him with a concerned expression.

"Where is Adora? We had asked Entrapta but she told us to ask you." Bow froze as his mind tried to think of something.

_I don't want to lie to them but I can't risk them dying either!_ "Bow?"Angella said anxiousness and concern clearly written on her face. Bow closed his eyes. _I'm sorry_ _Adora_ he said silently as he opened his eyes and looked at them. "Adora...is dead."he said. "D-d-dead?!"Glimmer sputtered. "How?!" Forgive me. "On our way to the science fair,Entrapta and I got lost and took shelter in an old castle. Adora found us about an hour afterward and came to take us back when an...animal attacked her. Entrapta and I managed to escape but Adora didn't make it."

He slowly turned his back to look at them. Both his dads were looking at him in shock as both Glimmer and Angella faces were frozen in horror. "No…"Glimmer said hoarsely,tears falling down her face. "She can't...Bow tell me this is a joke!"she cried.

_It's not a joke but it is a lie_.

"It's not a joke Glimmer,"Bow told her softly. "I'm sorry." Glimmer was cupping her hands around her head and was shaking slightly. "No,no,no! I won't believe this! I won't!"she yelled then turned and ran out of the room. "Glimmer!"Angella called as she ran after her. The room fell into a somber quietness and Bow knew it was all his fault. _I had to do it to keep them safe. I had to do it. Didn't I?_

* * *

Adora

The loud rumble of her stomach forced her body to wake up. She lifted her head up and let out a loud yawn,stretching her stiff limbs. Rubbing the sleep out her eyes,she looked around in the room. _Where am I_ she thought silently.

For a split second,she thought she was at home but then the memories of Bow and Entrapta in the cell,meeting Catra,the deal she and her made and her new living arrangement rushed at her and her bit of happiness instantly faded. _At the very least,Bow and Entrapta are back home and happy_ she told herself,feeling slightly better. She considered just laying her head down and going back to sleep but her stomach growled loudly,signalling that she needed food.

_I guess I should find something to eat._

She got out of the bed and walked out the room. The hallway was quiet almost nerve racking so. _Maybe Catra isn't here_ she thought. _Maybe I'll be able to escape._ But Catra's threat echoed in her head and her good mood instantly dimmed. _No,I can't do that. I need to keep the others safe even if it means I lose my freedom._ She sighed heavily and continued making her way to the kitchen. It was when she reached the staircase,she realised that she didn't know where the kitchen was. She mentally kicked herself while facepalming.

Now she was down to two options: Look for Catra to get directions or wander around and hope she found the kitchen. While she didn't want to go to Catra she didn't want to wander around the castle and accidentally end up somewhere she wasn't allowed to be. Before she could make a decision,she heard the deep,rumbling voice of Catra. "Trying to escape already?"

She turned to see Catra slowly appear out the dark hall on the left side of the central staircase. "No,no!"Adora said hastily,not wanting her to get the wrong idea. "I'm just looking for the kitchen." Catra narrowed her eyes at her suspiciously,most likely not believing a word she had said which,Adora admitted,would make sense,before she turned around and said,"Follow me," before walking off. Adora followed after her,keeping a good distance from her just in case,as the two fell into a tense silence.

_ I'm honestly surprised that she didn't just kill me right from the start_ Adora thought as she stared at Catra's back. _It would have made things easier for her._

"Getting comfy in your new home?"Catra suddenly asked,making her jump in fright. "What?"she asked. "I said,are you getting comfy in your new home?"she repeated,a slight growl accompanying the words. _Of course I'm not! You took me away from my real home_ she thought to herself but didn't dare to say that to her. "Don't worry,your silence speaks for itself. Though I suggest that you get used to it since this is your new home now."she said. _I know that but that doesn't mean I'll ever accept this as my home_ she thought defiantly. "Anyway,we're here."she said,stopping so abruptly that Adora nearly bumped into her,then stepped to the side to show the kitchen.

It was beyond messy.

Broken plates and pieces of glass were scattered across the floor,layers of dust covered every surface and there were even cobwebs. "This...is your kitchen?"Adora asked,trying but failing to keep the disgust out of her voice. "Yeah."Catra said simply. "I didn't think that anyone kept such a dirty kitchen."Adora mumbled under her breath. "What are you,some pampered princess?"Catra asked her. "I am not a pampered princess!"Adora exclaimed,annoyed by her statement. "Then unless you're gonna clean this kitchen up I suggest you get used to it."Catra growled,her tail flicking side to side as she bared her fangs a little. Taking the hint,Adora hurriedly changed the subject. "What are my options for breakfast?"she asked. "Well I got raw meat."Catra replied. Adora's stomach churned violently as she quickly used her hand to cover her mouth. Catra chuckled. "Relax. I know you humans can't eat raw meat. Your options at the moment are porridge,cereal and bread."

Making sure she wasn't going to throw up,she removed her hand from her mouth and said,"I think I'll just take some bread." "Then get it yourself."Catra grumbled before turning around and walking out the kitchen. _Rude much_ Adora thought. She looked through the cabinets,managing to find a plate that wasn't broken,a loaf of bread. She looked back at the dust covered table and decided it was best to just eat in her room.

_I don't know how long I can live like this along with being near Catra_ she thought as she walked back to her room with the plate and bread in her hand. _Angella always told me that I often bit more than I could chew and it seems she was right. Since now I am the little more than a mouse that wandered straight into the lion's den._

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**Author's note: Woah,finally got this chapter out. I know it might be a little dry and uneventful as I was in a semi writer's block while doing this chapter. Also,updates will be slower as of tomorrow since I start school. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and stay safe!**


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